Rome: Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has said she is “disgusted” after doctored images of her and several other women were posted on a pornographic website, urging that those responsible be swiftly identified and punished.
The images, which also included Meloni’s sister Arianna and opposition Democratic Party leader Elly Schlein, were shared on the platform Phica. The site, which had over 700,000 subscribers, was shut down on Thursday after the scandal came to light. Its managers blamed users for “using the platform incorrectly”.
The altered photos, accompanied by sexist and vulgar captions, were taken from personal social media accounts or public sources without consent and digitally manipulated to sexualize the women. Since the revelations earlier this week, dozens of women have lodged complaints against Phica and similar platforms.
“I am disgusted by what has happened,” Meloni told Corriere della Sera on Friday. “I want to extend my solidarity and support to all the women who have been offended, insulted and violated.” She added that it was “disheartening” that in 2025 women’s dignity continued to be undermined through online abuse and anonymity.
Police have opened an investigation following complaints from several politicians. The platform, whose name plays on a vulgar slang word for female genitalia, was launched in 2005 and appears to have operated largely unchecked despite repeated reports. Its “VIP section” hosted doctored images of well-known women.
The controversy follows Meta’s recent closure of an Italian Facebook account called Mia Moglie (My wife), where men exchanged intimate photos of women without consent.
Meloni said offenders must be “punished with the utmost firmness”, warning that “Content that is considered harmless can, in the wrong hands, become a terrible weapon”.
A 2019 University of Milan study found that one in five Italian women had faced some form of non-consensual sharing of intimate images.